Qualcomm Sues TI Over Patent

Qualcomm Inc., whose mobile-telephone technology is used by about 145 million people, said it sued Texas Instruments Inc., alleging breach of a patent-sharing agreement signed in December 2000.

The complaint, filed in state court in Delaware, seeks to terminate Texas Instruments’ right to use Qualcomm’s code division multiple access, or CDMA, technology for some semiconductors used in cell phones.

The agreement allowed Texas Instruments to make CDMA chips without paying royalties. A successful claim by San Diego-based Qualcomm might prevent Texas Instruments from developing CDMA chips for Nokia, the world’s largest mobile-phone maker, said Louis Lupin, Qualcomm’s general counsel.

Texas Instruments declined to comment on the case.